Wait a minute, you ask, what's a Porsche doing in this test with a sticker price about three grand short of a hundred large and over $33,000 more expensive than the Lexus? Let us offer an explanation:

We requested a Porsche 911 Carrera cabriolet equipped with the optional Tiptronic five-speed automatic transmission to place it on an equal footing with the four other contestants. Theoretically, such a car can be had for a base price of $82,585, within six grand of the price of the XLR that was the linchpin of this comparison. Unfortunately, the only 911 Tiptronic cabrio in Porsche's press fleet was a four-wheel-drive model that starts at nearly 85 large. Tack on several options priced as only the Swabians can, and the window sticker tells the rest. Suffice it to say that under the conditions of the test, the 911's four-wheel drive offered no advantage and only handicapped the Porsche in the ratings based on its eye-watering price tag.

That said, the 911 was the hands-down hot performer of the bunch, setting the benchmark in nearly every acceleration test and topping out at 166 mph, thanks in part to its relatively feathery--in this group--poundage of 3614, a whopping 606 pounds lighter than the SL500. This lack of bulk, coupled with Porsche's Stability Management System that controls individual wheel braking and power applications, produced a wonderfully agile automobile. One tester's notes neatly summed up the appeal: "The Porsche's brakes are great, as usual. Steering feel is excellent. Tranny is the best of the bunch with full manual control. A very good driver's tool."

Negative comments involved the relative starkness of the interior--it hasn't changed in years--when compared with the others. "The Porsche is a much different car--faster, less comfortable, less refined than the others. As much as I enjoy the precise steering and brakes and the grumbling noises in the engine bay, I don't think I'd put up with the stiff ride and absence of a hardtop," noted one staffer.

Despite the Porsche's somewhat harsh manners, it is actually surprisingly user-friendly. It's equipped with a fabric top, but the mechanism does include an integral hard boot, so top operation is a simple and rapid one-button action. And although the trunk has only five cubic feet of space, the 911's rear seat provides valuable supplemental room as well as sufficient space to transport a pair of 10-year-olds.

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